Promoting inclusivity in Western Australian schools

As Federal, State and Territory governments in Australia promote greater inclusivity, schools are simultaneously being required to be more accountable for their actions. As an attempt to provide an appropriate process for schools to employ to enable them to meet both of these requirements the Index for Inclusion was validated for use in the Western Australian context. Five Western Australian schools (three government, one independent, one Catholic) representing metropolitan, regional and rural communities, were involved in the validation trial during 2001. A multisite case study methodology was employed to consider the process followed by the schools and the perceptions of the community members regarding the inclusive practices of the schools. A number of recommendations are made for future use of the Index for Inclusion in Australian schools.